Daemon Wars
by Alex K 47
Summary: Sit, Children, and let me tell you a story of thieves, of beings of flame, of air and of water. I will tell you a story that takes place eons ago... or in your backyard. The very essences of the worlds are on a journey. Version 2, enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

Ch.1 Prologue 

I may not be an essence of words or storytelling, but if you can stomach a blathering old fool trying to tell a story far beyond his know. Now… how to start. I am not at young as I once was, and beginnings come harder to me now. Perhaps that is the curse of age. Beginnings are harder, and the endings come all too easy. But I shall try. If Muse, Great essence of storytelling that he is, be willing, I will tell you the story of two brothers, as close as you will ever find, and their journey…

The best place to begin, is not the beginning, but a little before that. The essence world is a utopia; islands lie scattered across a sea of all elements that eventually pours over the edge into what no one knows. In this world no king exists, no creator, just paradise, days and days of no worries, no work, no fights. Well, almost no fights…

Ch.2 From Hate's Twisted Vine, Friendship Blooms

Pyro laughed, then jumped in mid-run, avoiding the water ball that his sister threw at him. He did a swinging hockey stop and threw a mineor at his sister, and when it connected, she was knocked onto her back. As she picked herself up, he said to her "Face it, Aqua, you can't defeat the Heat Element!"

" OH YEAH? Well laugh at this, Fire boy!"

She moved her arms away from her, then summoned up all the water that she could create and formed it into a giant tidal wave. Pyro's smile disappeared as her turned around and sprinted away as fast as he could. "Roqe!" Aqua yelled, and almost as if by her word, a wall of diamond rose up from the ground, trapping Pyro with a wall of water coming straight at him! "Klepto, a little help here would be appreciated!" and a portion of the ground slid back to reveal a tunnel. "Thanks!" Pyro said, and jumped down the hole, using molten lava to seal the way behind him. He went down a long way, until he landed on his ass in an underground room. There, sitting on the bed with his head down, was Klepto. "You were fighting them again, weren't you?"

"Calm down, I was only fighting Aqua."

Klepto's head snapped up, and he yelled, "You know that if you fight one, you fight the other!"

Pyro looked at him, then looked away and started making smoke rings in the air. "I'm sorry, Klepto, you're right."

"Damn straight."

"But you don't know what it's like to have an

opposite!"

Klepto replied quietly, almost in a whisper, "Yes, I do."

"Since when?" Pyro was angry. Klepto was supposed to have been the essence of air, but for some reason, he had been a thief instead. How was he to know the rage and fury that even a simple jibe cost him and Aqua?

"They had another." Klepto murmured

Pyro's anger stopped as if by a flick of a switch. Another essence? When would they stop? A new essence would be hard on all four of them, what with their parents more touchy than usual. He swallowed and said, "Which is it this time?"

"Nomy, Law & Order, the Cop of the family." Klepto sounded really depressed. Pyro tried a joke to lighten the mood, "Well, every family has to have one."

"This isn't funny, Pyro!"

"Sorry, I'm sorry."

"It's just… I know I'm not the favorite of the family already, since I'm the failure, but with Nomy telling on me every time I do something, I just can't do it!"

They were silent, and finally Pyro said, "Hey, I've got an idea, but there are a few complications that might hinder it."

"Yeah? What's that?" Klepto looked at Pyro.

"Well, it might make Dad mad…"

"Screw the other ones, let's do it! What're going to do?"

"Well, I think I could burn a hole in the fabric of the ether in order to achieve dimension travel."

"Say that in Greek, because I can understand that language."

"I can burn a hole that leads to another world."

"Nice, but what about Nomy?"

"Now you know how I feel, but give it a rest, he can't even speak yet, who do you think he is? Lassie?"

Klepto looked at him and laughed. "Ok, but fix up your appearance, we are going to be around humans you know."

Pyro sighed, he hated doing this. Humans were so… cold. "Fine, but change your clothes. Ninja attire isn't really a huge fashion these days."

"Ok, but what else is there?"

"Goth, Emo, Vampire, etc…"

"Okay, okay, tomorrow we leave."

Ch. 3 Out of the frying pan and into Hell

Chrys lay in bed, nursing her bruises and there were a lot to nurse. The manager of the orphanage that she lived in had hired whoever walked in the door, and some of them weren't always kind; one step out of line landed you a free lunch with a plate full of knuckle sandwiches. Maybe tomorrow will be different, she thought to herself, maybe I'll be adopted, maybe the bad people will be fired, maybe… there were a lot of maybes in her life.

In town, a vacant lot was completely empty, save a few sewer rats, when a thunderclap tore through the air, and a pyrotechnics display of masterful quality began to unfurl in the vacant lot. Balls of fire shot up to the heavens, marking a circle around a flaming portal. Suddenly, the flaming portal opened and spit two humans, or things that looked like humans. They were followed by two backpacks that were mainly empty. One was a rather black individual, dressed in black pants covered in buckles that clanked when he walked and a Tee-shirt that said "Life's a bitch and I'm **Her pimp**" on it. The other dressed in a black hoodie that looked like it had been dragged through a dump and back, with a blood-red tee with a orange flame print going across it, along with baggy, travel-worn pants. They got up, and the travel-worn one closed the portal with a wave of his hand. "Well, were to?" said Pyro, for that was who he was.

"How should I know? This was your idea." grumbled Klepto, who felt rather uncomfortable with all the buckles on his pants, they made too much noise.

"Let's start by getting away from here, and we need a cover story, with some kind of proof and witnesses." Said Pyro, who grabbed his pack and started ambling away like a three-year old, "How about… orphans."

"You really think so?" said Klepto, "That might attract attention when they take your temperature."

"I'll melt the damn thing before they can get it near me, now let's get going."

"Whatever you say, Pyro, you're the leader of this expidition."

They walked down the street as the sun rose from its dormant position and graced the earth with its white glow. Klepto hated it. As they kept walking, a thought struck Klepto. "Pyro?" he said.

"Hmm?" Pyro turned to look at him as he walked with his hands behind his head, the vision of a free soul.

" How're we supposed to get into an orphanage?"

"Uhhhhhhhhh… Hm, you're right, that might be a problem."

They stopped and racked their brains until an answer came to them. "How about I injure you, then we go up to the orphanage all pitiful-like, with me carrying you and you'll look like something that the cat dragged in, they'll have to take us in!" said Pyro.

"But I really won't be hurt right?"

"Only a bit, they'll ask questions otherwise."

"Okay then, let's do it."

Turns out they wouldn't need the plan, because that was the day of the rainstorm.

It was a very bad day to be outside, thought Randall. Maybe a few orphans or runaways would be enticed to… well, speak of the devil. Up the street came two kids, one supporting the other like his very life depended on it. The kid that he was supporting was in bad shape, by the looks of it. He might not make it, but the kid in black would. He was just wet. "Please, we need help. My friend, he needs to get out of the rain."

"Sure kid, just tell me your names and we'll get you set up with a room." Said Randall as they walked in and he took out a huge tome full of names.

"Full names?"

"Yeah, that a problem?"

"No, not at all. My name is Klepto … Essence.

And this," he said, hefting the other boy on his shoulder, "is Pyro Essence."

"Okay, that's spelled P-y-r-o right?"

"Yep."

"Okay, just follow me, we'll get you guys a room, but no breaking the rules okay?"

"…Got it."

They walked down a dingy hallway lit by florescent lights. Randall stopped by one and unlocked it.

"Okay here's your room, you'll be sharing it with a girl, her name is Chrys."

He opened the door and Klepto helped Pyro in. "Wait…"

The door slammed shut, leaving them in a small, three-bed room that looked like it had come out of prisonbreak. At least it was dry. Klepto sat Pyro down on the cleaner of the beds, and picked up the rag on the floor and covered him in it. He then went to one of the other beds and sat down heavily on it. "Hey!" yelled a voice.

"Oh, sorry!" said Klepto, jumping off and looking at the figure. This must be Chrys, thought Klepto.

"Who're you?" said the figure.

"My name's Klepto, and that's my brother over there, Pyro. We're sharing the room with you."

"Yeah? Well 'share it' in the other bed."

"Sorry again."

"Just go to sleep."

Klepto moved to the other bed and lay down. What a day.

Ch. 4 Good Morning

The next morning, Pyro woke up before anyone else. First, he didn't know were he was, then he noticed how cold he was. Cold was deadly for him. He immediately began to create a fireball, to warm him up. Then someone on another bed mumbled and he extinguished it. He remembered now! There had been a rainstorm and Klepto had led him to a safe place. But where was this safe place. Looked pretty dingy. But at least it was dry. He sat up, wincing at the shrieks that the ancient bedsprings gave. At the sound, the person on the bed shot up like a jack in the box and looked around in panic. "Whoa!"

Said Pyro, holding up his hands and jumping away from the bed.

"Who are you?!" yelled the girl.

"Calm down, have you seen my brother? Dresses like an Emo, all black?"  
"That guy? Yeah, he woke me up last night, he's over there." Said the girl, pointing to the other bed.

"Thanks."

Not bad looking, thought Pyro, for a human. He walked over to the bed and shouted as loud and he could, "OPEN UP! THIS IS THE POLICE! WE HAVE YOU SURROUNDED! COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP OR WE'LL SHOOT!"

Klepto jumped out of bed like he had sat on a tack and started screaming, "Ok, I'm coming out!"

Pyro and Chrys laughed. Klepto looked around, realized that they weren't under siege, and immediately spit on Pyro. There was a faint sizzling noise in the room and a thin waif of smoke began issuing from him.

"Oh my god! Are you okay?!" yelled Chrys, running to him and grabbing his arm so that he turned to face her.

"Yeah, I'm okay."

"But, that smoke! And the sizzling sound!"

"I'm fine."

She stepped back and looked seriously at him. "What are you two?"

They both stopped short. "What do you mean?"

She held up a badly burned hand.

Ch. 5 Blown Cover

"Pyro…" Said Klepto.

"Yes?"

"Why is she burned?"

"Umm, well, you know." Said Pyro

"No, I don't know."

"I can't live in a human body comfortably. So, my clothes are Firethread."

"You mean our cover is blown for the sake of your comfort?!"

"Uhhhhhh, yeah."

By now, Chrys was just a little scared. "Wait! What **are **you guys? Angels?"

Pyro and Klepto looked at each other, and despite the seriousness of the situation, burst into boughts of laughter. "A-Angels?" He could barley breath, "You th-think that we- we're angels?"

She did not like being laughed at "Well if you're not angels, then what are you?"

They calmed down enough to speak and Pyro explained the "essence" thing.

"Neat, so you're like, gods?"

"Nothing so extravagant, we're just… there." Said Klepto.

"That's it?'

"Pretty much," said Pyro, "hear, give me your hand."

She held out her hand and watched in amazement as the burned skin healed and melded back together.

"How did you do that?" she asked.

Klepto gave her a quick smile and said "My boy Pyro here can do anything with fire, or anything caused or related to fire."

Pyro yawned and said, "There anything to eat around this place?"

"Not for a few minutes." said Chrys

"Fuck that, I'm hungry." Grumbled Pyro, who walked over to the door and tried to open it.

"Don't bother, it's locked." said Chrys

"Klepto?" said Pyro

"No prob, back in a sec. Wood or paper?"

"Hmmm, human food." Said Pyro.

"And you?" asked Chrys.

"Uh, I'll have anything."

" Ok, b.r.b." answered Klepto, who just casually walked over to the door and opened it.

Ch.6 a flame and a thief take a walk.

As Klepto crawled stealthily down the ceiling, he was almost sloppy. Humans were so inept at detecting him. So, he took his time and watched the people underneath him. Some were ugly, some were young, some were pretty, some were old, so many kinds. He then watched as two people were going to doors and gathering a crowd of young people, leading them somewhere. Probably to breakfast, he thought. Oh shit, breakfast. He rushed back to the room and opened the door, locking it as he closed it. "What's up, Klepto?" Pyro asked.

"Breakfast. They're unlocking the doors and getting people." He answered.

"Thank god you got back here, then, the volunteers

don't like people who do what they want."

Pyro felt rage build up within. This was too reminiscent of his old man. Picture perfect, eh?

Pyro looked at Klepto and smiled. "Let's take a walk, shall we?"

"Do let's."

Pyro smiled, then faced the door. He summoned the molten form of the hardest metal he knew. With it, he formed it into a razor-sharp sword. "Ready, Klepto?"

"You bet," said Klepto, pulling out two daggers from his sleeves, let's party, Attila style."

Pyro conjured up a glowing ball of rock with veins of fire in it. "What's that?" asked Chrys

"Mineor, " explained Klepto, "Miniature meteor."

"Big fun, small package." Added Pyro with a smile

With that, he blew the door and the two rushed out through the smoke, followed closely by Chrys.

"What's going on here!"? Yelled the leader of the guards, pulling out a gun. The rest of the guards did the same.

"Come out, come out to play…" said a voice from the smoke.

The leader fired a shot in that direction. "Hahahahaha…. I'm over here…." Said the voice, this time from the other side.

Bullets flew and heads rolled.

Ch.7 Land of the lost

"Wahoo! That was the most fun I've had since I blew that mountain away!" yelled Pyro, who was still saturated with a feeling that everything around him was just not funny enough.

"You did that twice, and the first time destroyed Dad's summer house in Pompeii."

"That was an accident, I was aiming for Aqua."

"Who was at the house!"

"Oops."

Chrys was coughing and sputtering. The smoke was acrid and hurt her lungs. "Pyro? Could you fix this smoke?"

"Oh, sorry, here ya go."

The smoke began to clear, revealing a group of frightened teens, including Chrys's friend, Caerul.

"Chrys," she said, "What's going on?"

"JAILBREAK!" yelled Pyro, still hyper.

"And who," Caerul said, "are they?"

"WE COME FROM OUTER SPACE! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!" This, of course, was Pyro again.

"Pyro!" scolded Klepto, "Shut up!"

"AWWWWWWWWW!"

"Do it!"

Pyro sighed but did as he was told, and the hallway was noticeably cooler as he did so. Little wisps of smoke had been rising from the floor, and they stopped and faded

"Whoa…" said a kid.

"Let's get out of here." Said Klepto, who sounded on edge.

Pyro looked at him and said, "More?"

"Yep, lots more."

"I'll deal with them."

With that, a portion of the hallway glowed red-hot and seemed to warp. The heat was unbearable to all of the human spectators, but it was a cool, refreshing breeze to Pyro. He conjured up battle mad, blood lusting humanoid flame warriors. "Have fun." Said Pyro to the warriors, who nodded and ran down the hallway. To the other, he turned and screamed at them to run. They did, and as fast as they could. "This everybody?" he asked Caerul

"Yes." She answered.

"Oo, so formal."

"Shut up."

As they continued to run, they saw that the reception area was full of police! They had been drawn like flies to ointment at the sound of the explosion. Pyro smiled. "Stop." He said.

'GET BACK!" Yelled Klepto. He knew that smile.

"Muahhahahahahahahahaha!" laughed Pyro, who turned the entire room and everything in it into fire and lava. The heat was so bad that if the orphans had not been far down the hallway, they would have been baked alive. Lucky for them, they were. The police, however, melted. Pyro cooled the room and walked into it. He felt the floor. Freezing. "Its good, come on."

The floor melted the orphan's shoes.

Ch.8 All's good in the family.

"THEY DID WHAT?" Yelled Malleus. It' wasn't easy being the father of being who had the power, and brains, to travel dimensions.

"They killed 15 policemen, 6 armed guards, and melted a reception area." Said Nomy. His opposite, Klepto, that thieving bastard, was his worst enemy. His friend had killed those cops! He was evil, as was anyone else who didn't obey his or her superiors.

"Why do they do these things? I mean, first there was Pompeii, then there was Japan, what do I have to do to keep them in line?!"

"Hey, I have an idea!" Said Nomy

"Anything!" said Malleus.

"How about you send Aqua and Roqe after them! That'll stop 'em!"

Malleus considered this. It was a good idea.

"Go get them."

Nomy walked out of the office. A few minutes later, in walked Aqua and Roqe. "You called, father?" said Aqua

"Yes, yes I did, Pyro has done something again, and I want you to…."

Ch.9 After the battle.

They walked out of the reception area, down the street, down into town, kept on going, kept on walking. "Umm…" said Chrys

"Yes?" Said Pyro

"Where are we going?"

"No idea, but I don't want to waste time getting there."

They ended up at an old factory. In it's prime, it would have employed over 1000 workers. Now, it was just a warehouse. "This is perfect." Said Pyro

"For what?" asked Chrys

"Your new home."

"You've got to be kidding! We'll get tetanus!"

"Not if all the metal is melted, then molded into a palace."

She liked the sound of that.

" Everyone, go a far as you can as long as you can see the ware house!" Pyro yelled, "You too Klepto, this would kill even you."

"Be safe, Pyro." Klepto warned. Kill an essence? This would be fucking HOT!

"Ain't I always?"

"No."

"That's the way I like it."

Klepto ran away as far as he could.

Pyro felt deep into the earth until he felt the molten lava that pulsed at the core. Taking a bit of the heat from that copper core, surrounded by lava, he touched the building, and the entire thing turned white hot. With that, he quickly mentally molded the thing into a smooth, beautiful palace. The heat coming off of it made Pyro relax. It gave him the same feeling humans do when they're at the beach, a calm, safe feeling. And he was safe. Birds 150 ft up in the air died and were roasted before they hit the ground. Trees withered, the grass dieing and turning to soot. In the end, the palace was a crystal beauty in the middle of a wasteland.

Ch.10 Queen Chrys

Pyro and Klepto stayed in the palace for a few days, then vanished. Where had they gone? Nothing but a note was left.

Dear Orphans,

Sorry we had to leave. Have fun, enjoy life, and eat ice cream.

The Brothers,

Pyro and Klepto Essence.

In the end, things turned out all right.

Then two people came to the palace. "Can we help you?" asked Chrys.

"Who made this? Growled the boy.

"A person named Pyro made this. Why?"

The strangers looked at each other and nodded.

"We'll have to tear this down." Said the girl, "You understand."

"No! Never!" Chrys looked around and stood against the palace. People joined her.

"Why do you protect this thing?!" The girl screamed, "HE made this!"

"He made this for us, and it's the only thing to our name!"

"And what name is that?" the boy said.

"Our name is… essence!"

The strangers took a step back, looked at the castle then at the people in the way. "Then we will destroy this abomination along with you!" yelled the boy.

"Do it! We're not moving."

Roqe growled and moved to conjure up a boulder that would crush the castle and it's defenders. But a hand touched his shoulder, and he looked at Aqua. " So you really will protect this Palace with your life?" She looked at Chrys.

Chrys looked back. "Yes"

Aqua was shaken. These people were protecting with their lives something that was created by her enemy. Still, even if it was, it belonged to them. "Then we bless you from the bottom of our hearts. May your blood grow forests."

Then Aqua turned around and touched the air, which rippled like water. They walked through the portal and into another world.

Ch.11 An Emotional Flame

The portal opened, and Pyro and Klepto were ejected in the same ungraceful manner as last time. But this time, when Pyro landed, he was immediately overcome with pain. "Klepto!" He yelled.

"Pyro! Don't move! It's snow!"

"Oh god…"

"Don't worry, here we go…"

Klepto bodily picked Pyro up, and set him down on his feet. "Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"How will you be fine?" Klepto asked, "In case you hadn't noticed, we're in the middle of a snowstorm here!"

"Don't worry I said. Watch this."

With that, he reached back, and pulled up a hood. Then, reaching into his pockets, he pulled out two gloves, and from the other one, goggles. Smiling, he said, "How do I look?"

Klepto laughed and said, "Like Dr. steel"

Pyro laughed, too "Good."

They looked around. Huge rusty buildings surrounded them. Snow fell. And for all the heat, Pyro shivered. This place was weird. "Where are we?" asked Klepto.

"I don't know." Pyro answered, "Let's find out."

They walked through the snow that had collected on the ground, past burnt out, rusting cars, past collapsed buildings. It was like no one cared for this place; it was like everyone stayed inside no matter what. But signs of life were everywhere. Fires were burning in the building, Pyro could feel them. Klepto was feeling at home. Lawlessness permeated the air like scent from a flower, and he could feel the emotions: lust, greed, anger, envy, cunning, hatred, fear, and a few pure feelings: Peace, trust, love. "Pyro, I feel bad emotions here."

"Any good ones?"

"A small group of them." He pointed, "In that direction."

"I feel a fire that way, lets go there."

They walked a while until they came across a warehouse. The door was locked, but Klepto had to all but touch it and it swung open. "Hello? Is anybody here?" yelled Pyro.

"Pyro, they don't trust us. They are afraid we are going to hurt them, like those other people did to their parents, but we just want to get warm, right?" Klepto said loudly.

"Yeah, I'm freezing."

There was silence, then a voice called out, "You really mean us no harm?"

"None at all."

"Come on in, then."

They followed the voice, the fire, and the emotions.

Ch. 13 The Mark oF Woe

They walked into an office, where a group of youths were sitting around a fire. The youths, male and female both, stared at the newcomers, one who dressed in black, and the other one wrapped up so well that you couldn't see much skin. They were dressed in rags that couldn't conceal much, and unfortunately that was all they could find. "Who are you two? And where did you find those clothes?" one asked.

They looked at each other. "We… didn't find them."

Said Pyro.

The youths looked confused. One shook his head and said, "No matter, if you don't want to tell us that's fine."

"No, it's not that," said Klepto quickly, "We just got here, so…"

"Just got here?" the kid sounded confused, "We're surrounded by cliffs on all sides."

They looked at each other. "Fine, you want some clothes?" Pyro asked.

"Really?!" said a girl.

"Sure. But no peeking."

"Okay"

Pyro and Klepto walked outside of the office. "Pyro, aren't your clothes fire thread?" Klepto asked.

"Yes, but I can cool them down so much that they'll feel like very good winter clothes."

"Okay…"

Pyro moved away, and raised his arms…

"I can't believe he's gonna give us some fresh clothes! I wonder where they found them?" said Ali

"Where did he find them?" wondered Jack aloud, "We'd searched all the warehouses when we woke up."

"I've been wondering that to, it seems so odd that…"

A blinding flash of light and the roar of fire interrupted him.

Ch.14 Wonder

The youths rushed out, afraid to see their new benefactors… or what was left of them. They were surprised to see the two standing perfectly unharmed amid piles and piles of clothes. Gloves, scarves, shirts, jackets, dresses, slippers, shoes, pants, and socks were all included. "Did we miss anything?" asked Pyro

He looked worn out. "What happened?" asked one youth. Pyro smiled and said, "I got your new clothes."

Klepto was looking around when he noticed a girl was rummaging through one of the piles. "HEY!" he yelled

"What?!" screamed the girl. She looked scared out of her wits.

Klepto only smiled. "The piles for girls are over there." He said kindly, pointing to another set.

"Oh." Said the girl, "Thank you."

"We'll leave you to change. Excuse us." Said Pyro, who then motioned to Klepto to follow him.

"Hey?!" Yelled a boy, "Who are you two?"

Pyro shrugged. "Just passing through." He said. Then they left. The boy rushed after them but when he opened the door, there was nothing but the whistle of snow.

They watched from their hiding place as the boy stumbled out of the building. "I wonder what their names were." Said Pyro

Klepto looked intently as the youth walked back into the house before saying, "Let's go."

Pyro nodded and moved to summon a portal when Klepto suddenly stopped him. "Someone's here." He whispered.

"Correct." Said a voice, and out from the shadows walked a teen about their age. He had black hair with Caucasian skin and was pretty normal, except for his eyes. They were black with three disruptions in them, forming the radiation sign. "Who are you?" asked Klepto

"My name is Saboteur, and I am like you."

Klepto laughed, "I highly doubt that."

Saboteur raised an eyebrow, "oh really?"

He turned and looked at a building. With his gaze, the building shrieked, a high, piercing sound that made everyone in the vicinity except Saboteur wince. The building leaned, then caved, destroying it. "What are you?" asked Pyro.

"An essence, fairly lesser. Nothing close compared to broad things like anything to do with heat," he said pointing to Pyro, "or being able to do anything related to trickery, or the power to feel the emotions of the bad and the emotions of those who you could steal from."

"Fine, we get your point." Said Klepto

"What do you want?" asked Pyro

"The same thing you do: to leave this place. I would be a valuable asset in a fight."

"Why should we trust you?" Asked the suspicious Klepto

Saboteur walked a little distance away. He seemed lost in thought. He saw the mountains, the snow falling as the sky lightened up a fraction more as the sun rose. Then, he spoke. "My father, Ileum, was banished here. He was the twisted Daemon, and all that he touched was twisted. Here he met my mother, Forta, Daemon of luck. So was I born. And my power? To twist luck. Unfortunately, I was but a child, and thanks to my mother's attentions, my power grew faster than I could control it. Then, one day, my power triggered a malfunction at the nuclear weapons silo nearby, and the missiles launched. We are in what used to be called the United States of America, which at the time was not in the good books of most of the world. So when the nukes launched, everyone else launched theirs. What followed was an all-out nuclear war, and in a matter of weeks, it was over. The fighting was over, but humanity now faced a bigger problem: how to keep on living. 64 of all landmass was now unlivable, and the major cities had been completely destroyed. Worst still, creatures were changing- the radiation was mutating them. They became bigger, stronger, and more violent. This city, which used to be called Carbondale, is relatively secluded. We survived the worst of it. Unfortunately, both my father and my mother disappeared soon after. I have only one clue. In my dad's workshop, he had twisted some of his tools together to form one word: Malleus."

Klepto and Pyro stole a glance at each other but did not say anything.

"The good news is, since you came, that makes me think that my mother is alive and wants me to come to her."

"And what makes you think that?" inquired Pyro

" You arrived here. If that isn't luck, then I have no clue what is." Saboteur's logic made sense.

Pyro and Klepto stepped back a little bit and conversed a while to make it seem like a big deal, but I their minds Saboteur was already in. "Okay, you can come with us. I'm Pyro and this is Klepto."

Them, Pyro turned around, raised his arms, and summoned the portal that would lead them to another adventure.

Ch.15 Nose held high

The three travelers were ejected in the same way as before, and Saboteur landed flat on his face. As he picked himself up, he noticed someone. No, a lot of someones. "Uh… Pyro?" asked Klepto

Pyro finished brushing himself off and looked around, "Oh, merde." He said. They were surrounded by kids done up in dresses and tuxedos.

Saboteur was frightened, but he thought of something. Turning to the side and spreading his arms out, he yelled "TADA!"

Being proper, the dumbstruck students politely gave a golf clap, And Pyro and Klepto, catching on, bowed with Saboteur. The applause was cut short by a man dressed in a three-piece came through the crowd and said, "And what, exactly, is going on here?"

Pyro and Saboteur stopped up, frozen in fright but Klepto, sneaky as ever, told the man, "What, you've never heard of the essences?"

The man stared down at him and said, "No, I'm afraid not."

"Well, where have you been?" said Pyro, "We are the best magicians in the entire galaxy!"

"AH! This is incredible!" said a foppish looking youth, "The agency said that they wouldn't be able to send anyone out for a year!"

"Well, we're a relatively new addition to the agency..."

Said Saboteur.

"Do you know these… Performers?" asked the big guy.

"Not personally, no, but they are the ones I hired for the grand ball."

"Ok, make sure they don't cause any trouble and get them uniforms."

"Uniforms, butler?"

"They cannot stay anywhere else but in the dorms, so they will have to attend school here until the ball."

"Ah, yes."

Ch. 16 School for the extremely rich and proper

"THERE IS NO WAY IN FUCKING HELL THAT I AM WEARING THAT!"

"Pyro, we have to blend. And to do that, you need to wear it." Said an exasperated Klepto, who was already wearing his tux.

"Sabo, a little help here?" pleaded Pyro to Saboteur, who was leaning against the wall.

"Sorry, but this is to funny to break up."

Suddenly the door connecting their room to another opened and a guy wearing a fancy tux waltzed in. "Excuse me, but I thought I heard an unspeakable obscenity come from this room, am I correct?"

Pyro got a look that Klepto knew well. It meant 'you've got to be joking.' "Yeah, my foppish friend, that was we." Said Pyro

"My god, where did you learn such terrible language, and to use it in public like that… dear lord, how impolite."

"Uh, what do you mean, PUBLIC?" Said Saboteur, "We're in our own room, alone."

The young man looked miffed and curtly turned and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

"Well, I can see that we're really going to love it here," said Pyro, rubbing his palms together.

"Indeed. Well, anyway, Pyro, if you won't wear this, then at least put on something fancy." Said Klepto

Saboteur was surprised when Pyro smiled.

Klepto seemed to know what was going on, and smiled. "Yes Pyro, if you can…"

"Finally, some fun." He chuckled, and began to envelope himself in a jet black flame. which formed itself into an ordinary tuxedo, but a tuxedo like no other. The jet-black silk seemed to flow like lava and it seemed to shine unusually. The overall effect was like a black light in a white room; stunning, but it was hard to look at. "Well, let's check out our lodgings, shall we?"

He said in a British accent and holding out his arm.

Saboteur chuckled, then walked over and linked arms with Pyro. "Do let's." and then, arm in arm, they walked out of the room with Klepto shaking his head and following behind.

The first thing that the trio noticed as they walked along the courtyards and archways of the school was the very things that noticed them: females. It seemed that the pool of males here was… limited. Not that there was any shortage of boys, but variety was wanting. So, when these three _new_ boys showed up, there was immediate gossiping. Now Klepto and Pyro, who, being some of the most major essences in existence, were no strangers to the bizarre and amazing world that is known as… the female mind. Saboteur however was unused to the attention, and a little lost. However, they all noticed one girl. She was of medium height, petite, with pure white hair. However, it was the dress that got their attention. It was an amazing invention, transparent enough to be mouth dropping but solid enough to be decent. Furthermore, it seemed to move like the wind, there but not… there. Pyro got a peculiar gleam in his eye and walked over to her. "Hello." He said

"Uh… Hi." She answered.

"I'm Pyro, and your name is…"

"Sylph. Pleased to meet you."

"Same here. Can I talk to you in private?"…

Ch. 17 A New Ally… And Old Enemies…

Pyro and the girl went to the room and sat down. Saboteur had somehow appeared, and Saboteur had just come back from stealing food and stood with his back to the wall eating an apple. "Well Sabo? Is she?" asked Pyro.

Saboteur looked at Sylph. She stared right back, gray eyes cold. "Yes, she is. And it looks like we have a Major one."

"What do you mean, Sabo?" asked Klepto

Sylph spoke up. "He means that I am the wind essence."

Pyro and Klepto looked at each other. Klepto was the youngest of the essences, not counting Nomy, and it was now apparent why he had not been a wind essence- there had already been one! Klepto swallowed and asked, "Who were your parents?" A parent's powers where often combined to form their offspring's power. This could sometime lead to dangerous or holy essences.

She looked at him and answered, "My mother, Ali, was the wing essence, while my father, Actin, was the Ray essence."

"What are you doing in a Human school?" asked Saboteur

The wind outside began to act very strangely- it moved fast across the ground, picking up sand and making it flow like a river. "Vanished." mumbled Sylph, "About 4 years ago. Before that, this place was a very lush place. But after my father disappeared, the light grew stronger, until most of the plants died and the birds vanished. I have no clue but it appears that my parents were fighting someone- there were black marks outside and large feathers from my mother's wings that appeared to have been ripped out."

Saboteur went over to her and apologized for asking. "No, it's not your fault- you couldn't have known. Besides, I'm almost over it. It just gets kinda hard to deal with sometimes." Her eyes where wet.

"I know how you feel, my parents disappeared too. It's why I am traveling with Pyro and Klepto- they are going to different worlds, and their last stop was mine. My mother was the essence of luck, so I went with them thinking that they arriving in my town was a sign of my mother trying to contact me."

Sylph sniffed and all was quiet for a few minutes, Sylph and Saboteur lost in memories, Klepto and Pyro feeling like intruders to their grief. Despite knowing him for all of 2 days, they already viewed Saboteur as a good friend. And if you were Pyro's friend, you got all the help you asked for. And you never had to. Suddenly and violently, Pyro growled and convulsed. His human disguise vanished, showing what he truly was- a being of fire and heat, the temperature in the room heightening to the point of boiling. The top of their room was torn off, and Pyro screamed, but it was as a fire screams when it obtains a large amount of fuel. He sent a large blast of fire directly at a mysterious cloud of fog. It was amazingly halted by a jet of water, which was followed by spears of ice raining down upon them. Pyro sent a wave of flame that wiped them of, but the resulting rain made him cringe as he felt pieces of himself die- much like you or me would feel if someone dropped a strong acid on us in small amounts. He hissed and swung his arm in an upward sweep, four humongous claws replacing his fingers. He put his other hand in front of him, and a verifiable meteor formed in front of him. He threw his arm behind him, gathering energy. It took no more than a millisecond to gather the needed amount. To Klepto, time seemed to slow. Right before the claws hit the meteor toward their assailants, Pyro looked at him and said "Get the other out of here."

Then his claws blasted the meteor at speeds almost to fast to follow, especially since Pyro shot his claw like missile directly after it. Klepto Used his speed to grab Saboteur and Sylph and get them as far away as possible while still being able to see what was going on. They stood for a moment, Sylph and Saboteur watching in amazement as Pyro halted an attack by the assailants and performed a masterful offensive attack, which the enemy deflected and countered with one of their own. "What's going on?" asked Sylph.

Klepto scowled. "We have two siblings, Roqe and Aqua. Roqe holds the power to control earth, while Aqua is the Water essence, Pyro's opposite."

Saboteur looked at Pyro "And what does that mean, Opposite?"

"We all have Opposites- essences in direct opposition to us. Aqua and Pyro where born as twins. From birth, they were fighting. Simple insults they give each other provoke the other more, and they try to destroy each other constantly. Unfortunately for them both, they're perfectly matched- neither is stronger than the other."

"Wait a minute- does that mean that this Roqe, your brother, is my Opposite?" asked Sylph, her voice getting higher in pitch with each word.

Klepto nodded slowly "Yes."

"And you believe that that is your sister has followed us here in hopes of destroying Pyro?" inquired Saboteur

"No, I believe that my sister _and_ my brother have followed us here in hopes of destroying Pyro."

Sylph's eyes became dark. "Roqe is here." she spoke it not as a question, but as an affirmation.

"Yes, look now." Klepto sadly nodded his head in the direction of the fight.

Pyro was standing in a field of ice spikes, the result of an attack that they had not seen. He was deflecting water bolts and sending spears back. Abruptly, a massive stalagmite-shaped spear, a foot wide at the base and over 5 feet long, came out of the cloud of fog that surrounded Pyro's opponents from view, ("Pyro's body can't take water." Klepto explained, "It's smart of Aqua to shield herself using fog- it's not enough to drain her unduly, but it still offers moderate protection.")

and pierced Pyro's shoulder, sinking in to about halfway. Just as fast, it melted into lava and formed into a red-hot blade that Pyro grasped by the handle and threw like a boomerang at the fog. Pyro immediately after slinging it, pulled a flaming spear from thin air and pulled it back as if it were a bow and arrow, the bow itself forming while he pulled back and vanishing as soon as he released it. It added another challenge too, as it split itself again and again, very quickly making a cloud of flaming that followed and soon overtook the blade in it's journey toward the cloud. A wall of water, large as a tsunami, rushed up and when the spears hit it, they dissolved into steam. Only the blade passed through the wall without vanishing, although it was impossible to see if it had done any damage. "Can he defeat them both together?" asked Sylph

Klepto looked on, his face looking curiously and uncharacteristically sad, then shook his head. "My brother is probably one of, if not the best, essence dueler you are likely to ever meet, but he is no match for the combined strength of two major essences. He will lose. It may take a day, or even two days, but he cannot stand up to the continued onslaught forever."

Sylph thought for a moment, then jumped off the cliff they were standing on, landing on a platform of solid air and using it to reach the battle. She soared with the grace of an eagle, memories of her mother teaching her to fly foremost in her mind. "_Take care your friends, Sylph, _her mother had told her that day,_ and they will take care of you._ She didn't know if these travelers were her friends yet, but she was certainly considering them for it. She slid to a stop beside Pyro, deflecting a stone bolt heading for him before he could. "What are you doing here?" He creamed at her, desinigrating a wave of water "You could die! Run, I can do this!"

"You know you're out of your league here, Pyro.," she growled back through gritted teeth, using a tornado to send a cloud of stone spires in every other direction but theirs. The enemy had apparently taken the arrival of a new adversary in stride, and was doubling their attempts to destroy them.

"You are completely inexperienced in fighting! You need experience to take them on!" Pyro created claws again and slashed them in a downward manner, sending three searing heat beams in the direction of the fog cloud.

"Well, no time like the present, eh?" Sylph blew away the fog with a strong breeze, allowing the beams to reach their targets.

The battle continued like this for what seemed like forever, each team getting more and more inventive in attacking their enemy and defending themselves. They had each just ad libbed two expert-level attacks that were countered with two more when without warning a dark shadow swept over the sky and a portal opened in the middle of the no-mans land between the two enemies. "ENOUGH!" Boomed Nomy's voice, for it was he who had stopped the battle. "Pyro, Aqua, Roqe, and Unknown ally of Pyro's, you are all Opposites! And it is clearly stated in the laws of Duels that if two teams are at a stalemate, then the battle must end!"

"And that's our cue to leave." Said Klepto, utilizing his way to open a doorway between worlds and grabbing the others, stepped through and closed it behind him.

They appeared in an empty alleyway. Klepto closed the portal and turned to Pyro. "It appears that Nomy grows faster than we expected."

Pyro was exhausted, but reverted back to his human disguise and nodded. "Ye..ye.." he swallowed. "Yeah, it would appear that way."

Saboteur noticed how tired his friend was, and mentioned that they had better find an inn so that they could rest, an idea that appealed to the rest of the group.

They found an inn without much difficulty, Klepto obtaining the money for their room and board from a passerby. They were then led to their room, one of the best ones; the elderly couple that ran the place assured them. It had four beds and a bathroom, which was an unexpected bonus for them. Pyro didn't really notice this however. He could have fallen asleep quite comfortably on the street he was so tired. So the feeling he got by slipping underneath the cool blankets and falling asleep wasn't just good.

It was heavenly.

Ch. 18 Santy Anno

"What shall we do with the drunken sailor? What shall we do with the drunken sailor? What shall we do with the drunken sailor so earl-eye in morning?"

"Wey, Hey, and up she rises, wey, hey, and up she rises, wey, hey, and up she rises, earl-eye, in the mornin'"

"Put 'im in the bed with the captain's daughter, put 'im in the bed with the captain's daughter, put 'im in the bed with the captain's daughter, earl-eye in the morning!"

"What shall we do with the drunken sailor? What shall we do with the drunken sailor? What shall we do with the drunken sailor so earl-eye in morning?"

"Wey, Hey, and up she rises, wey, Hey, and up she rises earl-eye, in the mornin'"

"Shave 'is belly with a rusty razor, shave 'is belly with a rusty razor, shave 'is belly with a rusty razor, earl-eye in the morning'!"

"What shall we do with the drunken sailor? What shall we do with the drunken sailor? What shall we do with the drunken sailor so earl-eye in morning?"

"Wey, Hey, and up she rises, wey, hey, and up she rises, wey, hey, and up she rises, earl-eye, in the mornin'"

"We'll put him in a longboat till he's sober, put him in a longboat till he's sober, put him in a longboat till he's sober, earl-eye in the mornin'!"

"That's what we'll do with the drunken sailor, that's what we'll do with the drunken sailor, that's what we'll do with the drunken sailor, so earl-eye in the mornin'!"

Sylph woke to the sound of raucous laughter.

She got up and looked around. Of the room they had rented last night, she had seen little; it had been dark and she had been more tired than she had ever been before. Not as tired as poor Pyro, though! He had been so tired that he couldn't even keep his eyes open. She could see that he was still in bed, although she wondered why he didn't catch the bed on fire, she didn't know. She then saw Klepto and Saboteur and couldn't help but laughing.

Saboteur was dressed in colonial attire, complete with tri corner hat and armed with a rifle slung across his back. They turned around at the sound of her laugh. "Good morning!" said Saboteur

"I wouldn't laugh, Sylph, because you have to wear this." Chuckled Klepto, who was dressed in "knave" dress: bandana over his hair, a cape, and two daggers at his sides.

He held up a… dress. "The whole deal; petticoats, skirt, and…" he smiled evilly, "a corset."

_Uh-oh_, thought Sylph "I'll wear the dress, but not the corset or the petticoats."

"Fine, I don't care. Just be ready to fend off some advances."

"What do you mean, 'advances'?"

"We apparently landed in a port town, and better yet, it's one in the colonial times. But the good news is, it's a town full of the occult- whether they're essences or something else, I'm not sure. But back to the point, streetwalkers here apparently do not wear these."

"Hmm… I'd rather deal with that than wear those."

"Fine by me. Now, I want to go outside, see what I can see, and Saboteur wants to go to, but I wasn't sure if you wanted to come with us or if you would like to stay here."

"Oh, yeah, I wanted to ask you: What are you guys doing?"

Klepto seemed confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, are you looking for someone, or on a quest, or what?"

Klepto smiled. "No, we're just traveling. Pyro and me have… family issues… so we decided to run away from home and travel a bit, maybe find some memories that would cheer us up later in life. At least, that's what I wanted to do. I'm not so sure about Pyro." He looked at his comatose brother for a second with the most peculiar expression on his face. "He's always been a little bit ribald. There's a very good possibility that he came on this journey just for some good times."

"And have you found any?" asked Sylph.

Klepto laughed and said, "No, actually. Our first stop ended with us saving a bunch of orphans from being abused, the one after that we found ourselves in Saboteur's world, that was a real picnic, let me tell you. And then we were in yours."

"With family like that, who needs enemies?" Chuckled Saboteur.

"You said it." groaned Pyro from the bed.

"Hey, the great hero awakens! How you feeling, Bro?" asked Klepto

Pyro looked Klepto and Saboteur up and down. "Like I'm in Pirates of the Caribbean. Want to tell me what's going on?"

Klepto and Saboteur got down to explaining the situation again while Sylph went t change into the bathroom to change. She found that the dress surprisingly felt nice. She went back out just in time to see Pyro finish getting his clothes on. He was dressed like… the best word she could think of was "Rapscallion". He had two rapiers on his hips, and wore a loose shirt with large cuffs. He had no hat, and his charcoal hair hung down to his collar. His pants and boots were much like Saboteur's.

"Nice, Pyro!" she said.

Klepto smiled and said, "Watch out, Saboteur, or Pyro will steal her from you!"

"Shut up, Klepto!" blurted Saboteur while Pyro and Klepto roared with laughter.

Sylph walked over to Saboteur and kissed him full on the lips. Then she turned to Klepto and said, "I'd worry more about your our girl, Klepto. I've got to put these earrings on." Then she walked into the bathroom, leaving the three men flummoxed.

Pyro started laughing so hard he fell over. "She got you there, Klepto! Now pay me that Lincoln you owe me."

Klepto smiled and gave him a five-dollar bill. Then he walked over and slapped Saboteur on the back. "Well aren't you a little Lady's man, ey? We've better watch out fer our gals, eh Pyro?"

"I think that Pirate outfit is rubbing of on you."

"Saboteur, can you come in here for a second, I need help with my earrings…" came a sultry voice from the bathroom.

"Quick, I'll grab the corset!" said Pyro, scrambling for the bathroom door.

Ch. 19 All the nightlong.

Later that day, they walked down a very dirty street, enjoying the sights. Exotic smells filled the air and Gypsy music from the town square mixed with rowdy pirate tune coming from the taverns. Strange and bizarre animals hung from cages. Down a dark corner, slavers were hawking their wares and cut purses darted in and between the crowds. A large bald man with an earring came up behind Sylph and squeezed her "booty".

She turned around with the speed of her element and pointed a finger to the sky and the man was lifted of his feet and thrown into a garbage bin by a gust of wind from below. "Sorry, _ye-ye_" he said.

They continued to walk around, enjoying the sights, Klepto had disappeared, but they weren't worried. He could take care of himself. Pyro bought Sylph a young Caladrius, which she immediately named Jinn and put on her shoulder. Suddenly, everyone dropped to his or her knees and a carriage came past them. Pyro, Saboteur, and Sylph, of course had no clue what was going on, and so did not bow. The carriage stopped a few yards after passing them. The door opened and two strong guards came out and stood on either side of the door. After them came an older man. He wasn't young, but he wasn't ancient. "You there! A Privateer, a Rapscallion, and a whore, I should have known. How dare you not bow to the court magician's daughter! You will receive severe punishment!"

"Take that back." Said Saboteur, putting one hand on his rifle.

The man's face turned red and he sputtered, "Guards! Arrest them!"

"Sylph, time for me to begin to teach you how to duel. Use your power to take out these guards. Don't kill them, we don't want any blood." Muttered Pyro.

Sylph nodded and created a wave of wind about waist high and sent it at the guards, knocking them down. Jinn fluttered his wings

The man withdrew his sword and went into a defensive stance. Pyro motioned for Sylph to step back, and he withdrew his rapier. The two combatants circled each other, watching for a move. Pyro struck first. Fast as flame, he gave him a prick on the chest, where his heart was. It was a warning move, meant to give him a message. But the man apparently had the phone off the hook, because he tried to take a swipe at Pyro. Pyro moved, and the man's sword flew out of his hand and landed with a thunk in a wall. Pyro moved twice as fast, and before the man knew what was going on, Both of Pyro's swords were in his hands and were at the man's neck. This time, the man got the message loud and clear: if you can't play with the big kids, then get off the field.

"Say uncle." Said Pyro

The man gulped and managed to get out a quiet "I yield."

Pyro sheathed his rapiers. "I claim your ring as my prize"

The man had a fantastic black diamond ring on his right hand, which he began to take off. "Not that one. The obsidian one."

The ring Pyro was talking about was also on his right hand, but was much more simple in design. It was a simple silver band with a stripe of obsidian running it's entire length. "That's all you want?" asked the man unbelievingly.

Pyro nodded.

The man scoffed, took it off his finger, and tossed it to Pyro. Pyro slipped it on his finger. Saboteur stepped forward. "Now take what you said back." He growled.

"I have my pride, you pirate! Never!"

In a split second, Saboteur's rifle was pointed at the man's nose. "Take it back now."

"You may kill me, but I shall die with pride! Never!"

Pyro's swords made a chilling sound as he drew them. "Stop!" said a voice.

They turned to see a young girl stepping out of the carriage. She was obviously rich, as the clothes she wore were of the most beautiful materials. She walked over to the group. "Jacque, beaten by a group of rouges? You're slipping."

"Sorry milady." The man, Jacque apparently, apologized.

"Rouges? Look like it not only stiff collar here that should be taking their words back." Said Saboteur

"Ha! I propose a deal with you. Beat me magically in the coliseum in two days time and Jacque and me will offer our apology."

"And if you win?" asked Pyro

The girl gave him a malicious smile. "Then you will spend the rest of your miserable lives rotting in a jail cell, if you're lucky. My castle is known for our… inventiveness." Her grin widened

"You're very sure of yourself, aren't you?" asked Pyro, sheathing his blades once again.

"I am the Court Magician's daughter and heir. I am very sure."

Pyro gave her a look of deepest loathing. "I accept."

"Very well then. See you in two days time." She turned to go back to her carriage.

"Oh, lady?" called Pyro

"Hmm?" said the girl

Pyro leered at her. "Good luck." He snapped his fingers and the piece of leather attaching the carriage to the horses burst into flame.

When they got back to the hotel, Klepto was waiting for them. He looked at Jinn a bit before explaining that he had been snatching purses off rich people all day, so they were set for cash.

"Well, we may have some trouble." Said Pyro

"What do you mean?" asked Klepto

The briefly explained the situation to Klepto.

"Well, from what I've heard around town, that whole family's a piece of work, always forcing crazy rules and edicts upon the people. They don't seem to be very strong compared to us essences, though."

"Hmm… still, I better teach Sylph to duel better before the match though. It's not that you're bad at it," he turned to her. "You're very good for a beginner. But you have a lot of room for improvement. But don't worry about it, I'll teach you almost anything you want to know."

Sylph nodded. Klepto stripped down to his pants and got underneath the covers of his bed. "Well, we'll need our sleep. Good night."

"Yeah, goodnight all. Let's grab some z's." said Sylph

"Yeah, let's conk out and get some rest." Said Pyro

"I'll conk all three of you on the head if you don't conk out so I can conk out. Good fucking night."

"And don't let the bed bugs bite" quipped Saboteur

"I'm going to effing kill you one day, man." Growled Klepto. Then he… conked out.


	2. Chapter 2

Ch

Ch. 20 One… or Two?

The next day, Pyro was up earlier than any of the others. He got dresses and proceeded to wake everyone else up. Klepto was up in a flash; it was a necessary skill for him. Saboteur woke up at a more normal pace- he got a much sleep as he needed no matter how little or long that was. Sylph, however, was slow to wake up- she preferred to wake up late in the day. But eventually everyone was ready to head out. They walked around for most of the morning in near silence until Sylph finally asked, "Where are we going, anyway?"

Pyro glanced over his shoulder. "We're going to the coliseum. I heard it was around here and that people practice for free. I figure it's time I started training you."

The continued walking until after an hour or so of wandering finally Klepto wandered away from the group, very purposefully walking toward an old beggar sitting on the corner. He reached into his cloak and pulled out a pouch. He began tossing it up and down in his hand, and they saw him ask the beggar something. The man's eyes were following the bag longingly, and he immediately answered. Klepto reached into the bag and pulled out 2 large, gold coins, which he tossed into the panhandler's lap. He then walked away, and by the look on the old man's face, Klepto had just made his week.

Klepto got to the group and pointed down a side street. "He said that that way is a shortcut."

Pyro nodded. "Good."

They went down the side street and soon enough it opened up into an immense plaza, which was dominated by a colossal coliseum. It was obvious what people here cared about- armory vendors lined the perimeter, broken sporadically by betting stations. To Saboteur and Sylph, it was an awe- inspiring sight. Pyro and Klepto, however, looked almost bored. They walked up to the main doors, where an old man sat behind a counter. "Excuse me, but is there a practice area we can use?" asked Pyro.

"Ah, you are the group who are challenging the Court magician and her daughter tomorrow?"

"How do you know about that?" asked Klepto

"Boy, very few things go on in this city that I don't know about."

"We are." Pyro smiled.

"Well, don't lose! I have a weeks pay bet on your group!"

"People are betting on us?" asked Saboteur

The man looked at him. "Are you joking? This is one of the biggest things to happen to this city since pirates last attacked us! The Malstrates are magical tyrants, masters of the dark arts, and the last fool who challenged them was never seen again after he lost the battle. Anyway, people just go in and practice on the main floor. Oh, and go all out- when you practice in the arena, it instantly heals all damage done to either of the combatants. Good luck."

They thanked him and went into the arena. Klepto and Saboteur went over to the sidelines while Pyro and Sylph stamped out a place nearby for them to practice. When they were ready, Pyro began his lesson. "Now, Sylph. How many of you are there?"

"Uh… one?" to Sylph, the question made no sense.

"That's what you would think, right? Klepto!"

"Yeah, Pyro?" Klepto was teaching Saboteur sleight-of-hand.

"How many of you are there?"

Klepto smiled. "2, of course!"

"2?" asked Sylph, "Impossible!"

"So you say. But if it is impossible, then how is it possible for me to be this," he gestured to himself, "and also this?" His body turned into the flame beast she had seen him turn into when fighting Aqua and Roqe.

"Isn't that just a different form? It's the same you, just a different coating."

He morphed back, his clothes reforming. "No. You forget- we are essences. There's us," the flame beast was back again, "_**and then there is us**_."

Sylph's eyes widened in understanding. "I get it. There's us, our conscious self, then there's us, our essence."

"_**You learn fast.**_" Pyro reverted back smiling and nodding, " I think we can teach you."

He then charged at her, firing a volley of 4 fireballs. She hurriedly cast up a guard, but it wasn't strong enough- 2 of the, exploded upon impact, but the other 2 hit her. She was thrown back a good 10 feet, gouging out a trench before sitting up and returning fire. They went at each other with ferocity, but it was clear that Pyro was holding back. His arm, cloaked in flame, deflected every one of her attacks with ease. "No! To win in a battle, it is not enough to be strong! You must be as fast as your element!" She jumped in the air and sent three air spears in his direction. He blocked with one arm, but was sent scrambling as Sylph sent several more in a bizarre pattern. Finally, one slipped through his guard and imbedded itself in his arm. He looked at it, smiled, and said; "Now that's more like it!" He tore it out and lunged at Sylph, and the battle continued. It took a while, but it was obvious that Sylph was improving. Most of the other warriors, archer, and mages in the arena stopped their own practice to watch the fight. And with good reason- the fight was intense and went on till late afternoon, when finally Pyro went into his flame mode and finished the battle with a devastating array of attacks. "Well done, Sylph, you have improved faster than I would have expected." He held out his hand to help her out of the crater he had made.

A trio of what appeared to be the best Warrior, Archer, and Mage in the stadium approached them. To say the least, they were an impressive sight. "You must be the group that's fighting the Malstrates tomorrow!" said the Warrior, a large, burly man with a red beard.

Pyro nodded, "Yeah, that's us." He turned to the mage, "How'd we do?"

"Why, my boy, that was a masterful display of elemental fighting! Although if I may ask, why do you only use fire magic?"

"That's because we aren't mages. We're essences."

The Man's eyes widened. "You don't say? It is an honor to meet one such as you." The warrior and archer were looking at him quizzically. "I'll explain later." He said to them.

"By the way, we're kinda hungry after our fight, do you know any good taverns or restaurants around here?" asked Pyro

"A good meal would be great." Said Sylph

"Good for you we live around here!" said the archer, "We know all the best places. We were just about to go for lunch, would you like to join us?"

Klepto was suddenly at the trios' sides "Did someone say lunch?"

"Ya! Oh, young man, you gave me quite a start. Yes, we were just asking these people and their companions out for lunch."

"This is Klepto, my brother. He is the essence of Thieves."

The warrior eyed him carefully. "Oh, really? Is he trustworthy?"

Klepto grinned, "Only if you don't have anything I want. You don't."

The warrior seemed to have a small internal battle. Then he nodded. "Fair enough."

Saboteur walked over. "What's up?"

The mage looked at Pyro. "Another of your companions?"

"Yes, his name is Saboteur."

"And he is-"

Saboteur leered "A Saboteur."

The Archer looked at Pyro oddly, "You choose your friends strangely, great mage."

"Well, one's my brother and the other is traveling with us for noble reasons, so I can't really say go away, can I?"

The trio looked at him for a minute, as if sizing him up. Then the mage smiled. "No, one can't cast away their friends, can they?"

"No, they can't. Now, where's this restaurant? I'm starving."

They followed the Trio down a side alley into a small café. The young elf behind the counter smiled dreamily at the warrior, and quickly sat them at an excellent table. After eating, the Mage began to talk. "Now, Aldren, Zenith, a essence is the conscious embodiment of anything in the world. For example, Pyro here, isn't just the essence of fire, he is fire. He is everything fire has ever done, and will ever do. Now, that didn't mean that before he was born there was no fire, just that it wasn't represented. It was governed by a raw instinct, ancient codes of nature. That's why he can only use fire as a tool."

Zenith's eyes widened. "Why, with that kind of power, you are sure to win tomorrow!"

Aldren seemed to have realized something. "But, wouldn't that make you incredibly weak to things that put fires out? Water, for instance?"

The Mage nodded, "Very impressive, Aldren. Yes, if my study is correct, that is true."

"Unfortunately for me, the water essence is my sister." Said Pyro.

"Tough luck, Pyro." Said Aldren

"Yeah. That's why we're traveling, to get away from them."

"And how did they meet up with you two?" Zenith asked Saboteur and Sylph.

"Before that, I have a question for you, mage." Said Klepto, "How do you know so much about us?"

"My name is Dolor. I learned of your kind from another essence, by the name of Malleus."

Saboteur's eyes flashed and he basically lunged across the table and grabbed the man by his shirt. "What did this man look like?"

"Uh… he was white, with brown hair and black eyes. Now let go of me!"

Saboteur released Dolor and sat back down. "Why did you do that?" asked Dolor

"Because my parents have vanished, and the only clue I have is that man's name: Malleus."

Dolor brushed himself off and sat back down. "The man I met, who called himself Malleus, did seem like that kind of person. Now, I have answered your question, now you answer mine."

Saboteur explained how he had met Pyro and Klepto and then Sylph gave her story. "Hmm. That is interesting."

Aldren looked at his watch. "Dolor, we have to go."

"What? Oh, is it time already?"

Aldren nodded. "Good gracious! Well, we hate to run like this, but me and my companions have a previous engagement, and we just can't afford to be late."

Pyro stood up and shook Dolor's hand. "It was nice talking with you."

"Likewise. Well, we must be off! See you soon!" The Trio put money on the table for their check and left.

Pyro and the others left the restaurant. They walked a little saw a few sights before it began to get dark. As they walked by a notice board, something caught Pyro's eye. It was a poster advertising a free party, which, by the looks of the town, wasn't all that uncommon. "You guys want to go?" he asked

"Sure, I'm game." Said Saboteur.

But both Klepto and Sylph said they were too tired. "You two go. Show him some moves, Pyro." Said Klepto

So the group split up, Klepto and Sylph heading back to the room and Pyro and Saboteur heading to the party. When Klepto and Sylph got back to the room, they got dressed for and got into bed. However, just as Klepto was drifting off, he heard Sylph ask, "Klepto?"

"Yeah?" he answered sleepily

"You know that thing that Pyro can do? You know, where he turns into that fire beast?"

"The technical term is Anthropopyre, what about it?"

"I've tried, and I can't seem to do it. How can he?"

Klepto sighed and sat up. After he rubbed his eyes a bit, he lit a candle. His face in the flickering light was somber "This is going to take a little bit of explaining."

He stopped for a minute, as if gathering his thoughts. Then he started. "You know that we have two brothers and a sister?"

She nodded. "Yeah, Aqua, Nomy, and Roqe."

"Very good. Now, You know that Aqua is the water essence, and therefore Pyro's opposite?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, being brother and sister was never an easy thing for them to accept. They were constantly trying to outdo each other. Problem is, Aqua was doing it to get our father's pride, and it did. However, Pyro was doing it to be better than Aqua. The power that Pyro has- the power to turn into his element- is one of the most difficult techniques for an essence to master, and to be able to transform as easily as Pyro can is an almost impossible achievement. I can actually remember the first time he did it. Our Father was so proud that…" Klepto stopped talking for a second

"That he what?" asked Sylph

"… Our loving father began to show Pyro off to other essences. Pyro did it just so that he could do something that Aqua couldn't, and now he was our father's pride and joy."

"Well, isn't that good? He succeeded where Aqua failed!"

Klepto shook his head. "No, you misunderstand. Pyro hates our dad. I mean, really hates him. To be our father's pride and joy, well, he loathed it."

"So what did Pyro do?"

"Nothing. One day, our father is showing him off like a new car, the next day he's not paying any attention to him at all."

"Why?"

"Damned if I know. Anyway, what Pyro can do is called Lacrimosa. The only problem with it is the price you pay."

"What do you mean, 'the price you pay'?" asked Sylph

"Those are Pyro's words, not mine. I have no clue what he meant by that, and he's never told me."

"So, I should ask him what it means before trying to do it?"

"That is what I would suggest, yes. Now, get some sleep. You're gonna need it for tomorrow's match."


End file.
